Tag Archives: Entertainment

How much is too much reporting?

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By GIANNA SANCHEZ

The news media are looked at as the watchdog over our government. They are supposed to hold people accountable for what they say and do–but to what extent? It seems as though sometimes news outlets are reporting on the wrong aspects of the news.

I realized this when scrolling through Twitter. I saw a tweet from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the representative for New York’s 14th Congressional district. The tweet linked an article from the New York Post with the headline “Ocasio-Cortez leaves parade in 17-mpg minivan–blocks from the subway.” Ocasio-Cortez responded with some light humor saying “I will have you know my tía was very upset that the New York Post insulted her minivan…If they saw how many goldfish snacks were in this thing they’d say I was killing the ocean too.”

At first, I thought it was just internet trolls at it again and Ocasio-Cortez getting into trouble. Once opening the article, it really criticized her. The first line was “she’s addicted to Uber.” The article goes on to say how hypocritical Ocasio-Cortez is for advocating for climate change and better use of energy while not using a form of mass transportation.

The writers, Sarah Trefethen and Bruce Golding, did a lot of digging to find out how much gas time and money she was wasting by taking this mini-van ride from her aunt, but they claimed it was Uber. They also revealed statistics from her days campaigning to say how much money she spent on Ubers, taxis and for-hire vehicles. They did not realize, however, that this ride that she was taking was not an Uber.

While it is good to know information about candidates or politicians and what they truly support, when is enough enough? Do we as journalists have to bash Ocasio-Cortez for taking an Uber ride or ride from her aunt and not using the subway for every mode of transportation every day? Does this truly prove a bigger point and say that she does not truly believe in everything she claims to?

As journalists, I feel as though the line that is separating what is necessary to report and what is distracting from the point is blurring more and more each day. We need to figure out whether or not to report on the details of someone’s personal life versus the issues they are discussing.

Kacey Musgraves pays tribute to Selena

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By ALEXA ECKEMBRECHER

Kacey Musgraves paid tribute to her fellow Texan and icon, Selena Quintanilla in Houston earlier this week.

Almost exactly 24 years after the late Tejano singer performed her last live and broadcast concert, the Grammy-winning country star covered one of the adored singer’s most popular songs at the same exact venue.

Musgraves, 30, was scheduled to appear last Monday at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at the NRG Astrodome. She performed many of her hit singles, including songs from her Grammy-wining album “Golden Hour”, prior to surprising fans with Quintanilla’s song “Como La Flor”. Quintanilla, known simply as Selena, performed at the then Houston Astrodome on Feb. 26, 1995. Over a month later, on March 31, 1996, she was then murdered by Yolanda Saldívar, her former fan club president. Selena was 23 at her untimely death.

Musgraves posted about her performave on Tuesday on to her Instagram stories. She wrote “24 years ago Selena performed her last concert here. It was a dream of mine to be able to pay my respects to her iconic legacy.”

Musgraves also tweeted about the event on her twitter account. She wrote “Houston Rodeo! My Texan dreams came true last night. It was everything to me” in one tweet and then “Siempre Selena” in another, attached with a link to a video of her covering the song.

This caught the attention of Suzette Quintanilla, the late singer’s sister, who posted a clip of the performance on her own Instagram. “Awww this makes me wanna shed a tear! Takes me back,” the caption read. “A Big Big Thank you @spaceykacey for the love at the Houston Rodeo tonite with that SELENA Y LOS DINOS Jam!”

Fans all over the world praised Musgraves performance of all social media platforms.

I am glad this topic was covered because I am a big Kacey Musgraves fan and I absolutely love Selena’s music. Likewise, I am glad that all the articles I read mentioned the fact that Selena’s sister acknowledged Kacey’s tribute. Personally, I believe it made the occasion that much more special to Musgraves and the fans that were in attendance.


Frost Jazz Hour reaches 10th year

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By EVAN SIEGEL

The University of Miami Frost School of Music has enjoyed tremendous success since its founding decades ago. Notable artists such as Pat Metheny, Jonathan Kreisburg, Emilia Estefan, and many others were part of the school’s prestigious jazz studies department. The school has developed a consistent partnership with WDNA radio, the local jazz radio outlet in South Florida. The show has recently begun its 10th year on the radio.

Every Thursday at 11 a.m., the radio station produces the Frost Jazz Hour, hosted by Chuck Bergeron, a bass professor at the school and former member of the classic Woody Herman Big Band. For an hour each week, various ensembles, student-led groups, and alumni perform over the radio to a consistent following of listeners. This past Thursday, the Frost Jazz Octet performed to a live audience as well as thousands of listeners over a radio signal radius that stretches from West Palm Beach to Key Largo.

The octet, which features five horn players and a guitar trio, showcased five songs that the group had been arranging and rehearsing all semester long. The group is led by professor Dante Luciani, a trombone professor who conducted the Frost Concert Jazz band for 12 years before recently Grammy-awarded Dean John Daversa began conducting the large ensemble.

Luciani has been one of the most successful musicians in the business for decades now. Jazz trombone legends such as Curtis Fulelr and Frank Rosolino were considerable influences on the remarkably accomplished Luciani, who has performed with jazz giants Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Sinatra, and countless others. The group includes one of Luciani’s personal trombone students, and others from different instrumental studios throughout the department. 

The Frost Jazz Hour has featured vocal groups, instrumental ensembles, a capella groups, ad faculty concerts. The broadcast has become part of the canon of the jazz scene in greater Miami and indeed throughout larger parts of Florida as a whole. The Frost School of Music can be heard over F.C.C. airwaves every Thursday from 11 a.m. to noon.

‘Modern Family’ comes to close

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By LAUREN YELNER

CNN and ABC have both recently announced the renewal of the 11th and final season of the hit show “Modern Family.” The show, which has been running for 10 years, is a favorite of many people. Each character depicts a family member that we all know and love, making it easy to relate to the show.

CNN announced the end of the show in a news story that did not come as a surprise to many. Fans understand that the writers can only come up with a few more topics before the show is exhausted. CNN included a tweet from one of the main actors of the show where he expressed that it will be very hard to leave something that meant so much to him.

The announcement also featured a quotation from the co-creator and highlighted the 21 Emmy awards, multiple Screen Actors Guild awards and the Peabody that the show received in its time on air. While many are sad to see the lovable show come to an end, many are excited to see where the characters lives will end up.

Covering Kanye West’s ‘SNL’ politics

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By SARAH BRADDOCK

News media bias was ever-present in the coverage of rapper Kanye West’s comments on “Saturday Night Live” this past weekend.

West embarked upon a length pro-Trump tirade after the show went off-air. His words were, per usual, caught and shared via social media.

He also expressed his opinions on the 13th Amendment first indicating he believes it should be repealed, and later on saying it needs to be amended.

 

In CNN’s coverage of the event by Lisa Respers France, headlined, “Kanye West stirs more outrage with 13th Amendment, slavery tweets,” the way in which the event is covered is undoubtedly influenced by the outlet’s reputation as a somewhat liberal news media source.

The headline alone makes the article feel as if the event is everyone versus, the villain of the story, West.

France then goes on to exclusively cover just the backlash West received from big stars including Chris Evans, Lana Del Rey, and Swizz Beatz.

On the other end of the spectrum, is Fox News’ article by Katherine Lam, “Chris Evans slams Kanye West’s call to ‘abolish’ the 13th Amendment.”

The headline for this piece is influential as well. It has the opposite effect of CNN’s, portraying Chris Evans, and later on others who criticized West, as the aggressors.

Another indication of Lam’s political leanings are the fact that she not only reports on West’s controversial statements but also includes comments he has made to defend himself.

Through their headlines alone, CNN and Fox News both clearly indicate their position on the comments and overall political opinions regarding President Trump.

‘WW’ coverage needs refocus

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By: SARAH BRADDOCK

Following the launch of Weight Watchers’ rebranding efforts, including the new “WW” name, many news outlets focused their attention on the wrong issues at hand instead of addressing the core issues of diet-culture.

Initially, most of the articles covering the rebranding elaborate on the changes taking place within the company’s practices. This includes a new application, partnership with meditation app Headspace, and incentives for logging various health-related activities.

Then, the pieces go one of two ways. Exhibited in People’s article, “Weight Watchers Rebrands to WW and Refocuses on Health and Wellness” by Julie Mazziotta, many of the pieces fail to provide more than one side to the perception of the rebrand.

The article does well in explaining the new changes taking place, but the only opinion given in the piece is from CEO Mindy Grossman and major WW investor, Oprah Winfrey.

Only including opinions from sources who will undoubtedly speak in favor of the company creates a bias within the article’s content.

Another way the coverage of WW’s new look goes is portrayed in Independent’s, “Weight Watchers Rebrands as WW in Bid to Distance Itself From Dieting,” by Rachel Hosie.

Hosie also covers Grossman’s account on the rebranding of the company, but she elaborates on the backlash the company has received. She cites London-based nutritionist Laura Thomas also holds a Ph.D. in nutritional sciences at Texas A&M.

Thomas is notoriously anti-diet through her social media presence and nutrition practice. Including another opinion on the possibly dishonest intentions of Weight Watchers’ supposed well-intentioned rebranding adds credibility to the article.

Following Thomas’s feedback, however, the article goes on to elaborate on Oprah Winfrey’s role within the company.

This is where the majority of my issues arise with media coverage of this event. Many articles use Winfrey’s support and role in WW as a crutch.

Through covering the damage diet culture has on young women and the way WW promotes this, discussing the success Winfrey has had within the program devalues any good intentions the article, writer or publication may have had.

Vogue praises amputee model

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By ISABELLA VACCARO

When model Lauren Wasser lost her leg to toxic shock syndrome (TSS) in 2012, her life, which had been full of modeling and basketball, changed forever. After five years of pain and very little physical activity, she decided to have her second leg amputated, too. When the news outlets first covered her story, it was all about the dangers of TSS and the devastating effects it had on Wasser’s life. 

Today, Vogue published a story on Wasser that couldn’t be more different. The story takes a complete 360-degree turn from the sob stories told in 2017 when Wasser had her second leg amputated. Vogue instead covered Wasser’s recent success in modeling and her mission to prevent TSS from affecting others. 

Vogue’s article title, “How Lauren Wasser, Fashion’s Girl With the Golden Legs, Made a Triumphant Return,” grabs audiences with its upbeat, positive tone, and intrigues readers who may not have otherwise known about Wasser with the word-choice of “Golden Legs,” which isn’t a phrase normally used to describe fashion models. 

The story does a good job of condensing the events of Wasser’s tragic loss of her legs in one sentence, before quickly moving on to the main subject of the story — Wasser’s return to the modeling world. 

Author Janelle Okwodu provides important background information as to Wasser’s childhood, growing up as the child of model Pamela Cook, and how modeling is in Wasser’s blood. Today, Wasser models not only because she enjoys it, but in order to send a message. The other purpose of the article is to describe Wasser’s efforts in advocating a bill that would force brands to list the ingredients in their tampons. 

What seems to be missing from the article are quotes from Wasser, however there is a video which complements the story and follows Wasser on her journey from Los Angeles to New York City for Fashion Week. 

The Vogue story also proves an important point about the changing nature of journalism today. Video content is becoming the emphasis and written stories, such as this one, are playing second fiddle. 

The 300-word story almost acts as background for the main event — the video content, which expertly tells Wasser’s story with scenes in her own bedroom, town and then with the backdrop of New York City where she re-emerges into the fashion world.

Overall, Vogue’s coverage of the story is unique and refreshing in comparison with the multiple other stories written on Wasser which all dance around the tragedy piece. Their use of video content allows the story to appeal to a much wider audience and is more marketable this way on platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. 

Scott uses runway for political stand

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By NOELLE BARREDA

Jeremy Scott used his runway to take a political stand.

Scott is known for his unapologetic style in fashion. He is very creative and is all about having fun while creating fashion.

Scott closed his show with a debut of his white t-shirt with black letters saying, “Tell your senators no on Kavanaugh.” The t-shirt statement was followed by the phone number to Washington, D.C., where you are able to call an express how you feel.

The Vogue.com article on Jeremy Scott covered who Kavanaugh is to the general public and why he is important while keeping it simple for an audience who probably isn’t politically inclined to understand.

According to Vogue.com, Scott has been very open lately on his political views with gay rights and is not holding back any time soon. Continuing showing his stance by showcasing this t-shirt during New York Fashion Week in protest to change the election of Kavanaugh.

He hopes that other designers follow his lead and speak up on what is right during NYFW where it can make a great impact.

Jones and Solo join the conversation

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By JEAN-PAUL AGUIRRE

You probably did not know this about me, but I am a pretty big film fan / nerd. It was recently reported that Disney would be teaming up with Academy Award-winning director Steven Spielberg to develop a brand new “Indiana Jones” movie.

The report also stated that the series’s iconic star, Harrison Ford, would be returning to reprise his role as the titular character.

The character originated from the same studio that brought the “Star Wars” saga to our galaxy, Lucasfilm, which was recently purchased by Walt Disney Studios.

Other news involving another one of Ford’s characters, Han Solo, has been surfacing as well. Disney has released information regarding the casting of Solo for its new film, which would involve a young Solo and his adventures with Chewbacca.

To my surprise, I discovered this information as I was watching CNN.

It was a delightful change of pace from all the coverage surrounding the ongoing presidential election and the results of the March 15 primaries.

Seeing this kind of news make it to the mainstream news stations brought a smile to my face because, normally, in order to come across this information, I would have to go online and search through different news sites, such as Deadline or Variety.

The only reason I think the coverage over this news is appropriate is because of how iconic and famous these movies are. Had CNN stopped coverage of the primary results for an “Alvin and the Chipmunks” movie, I would have thought it to be misplaced and jarring to CNN’s audience.

I also believe the amount of time spent on this news was appropriate.

It was meant as a small buffer from the onslaught of political news that we hear everyday; it was an opportunity to step back and cleanse our pallets.

Fashion Week’s top ticket

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By MIA POLLACK

Every September and February, American designers prepare to show their freshly minted collection for the spring-summer and fall-winter collections ahead, bringing fashion lovers, bloggers, and celebrities to New York from all over the world.

Every designer has hype over his or her show or presentation: Who’s sitting front row, what bloggers are in attendance, and so forth. Even though New York Fashion Week just started Wednesday, the show that everyone could not stop talking about was Kanye West’s “Yeezy Season 3” fashion extravaganza at Madison Square Garden.

In addition to his fashion show, he debuted his newest album, “T.L.O.P.” or “The Life of Pablo,” which in the past few weeks has undergone multiple title changes until landing on this one.

The fashion show-concert was very much different from his show last season; where models were ushered in by the calls of drill sergeants. This time, Kanye started the show by thanking the individuals who helped and supported during the making of this album, as well as his wife and kids.

The models were ushered in on two large platforms in the center of Madison Square Garden and, according to Vanity Fair, were still for a good amount of the show. They just stood there, with about 100 others dressed in Yeezy on the floor beneath them.

I knew as of last week that the Yeezy show would be the hot ticket of the week, but I still did not understand what all of the hype was about. Yes the Kardashian-Jenner clan would be there or, as Kanye calls them, “the new Jacksons” on one of his tracks, but still?

I guess it’s because people have lusted after the looks of the K-family and editors like Anna Wintour of American Vogue and Carine Roitfeld of CR Fashion Book adore Kanye. Evidence enough can be found  in interviews and documentaries by both fashion moguls.

The other hype: I guess that the clothes sell for hundreds of dollars in the stores and the shoes go for a few thousand when being auctioned off online. The exclusivity of these items is over the top.

Does the sound “I wanna be like Kanye,” ring a bell?